Watch the original episode on YouTube.
Today’s Pulse rundown
UN Climate Vote
Transcript: What if the whole world agreed to change how we power our cities? On Wednesday, 141 countries at the UN general assembly voted in favor of a landmark climate resolution! The agreement urges states to transition away from fossil fuels to reach net zero emissions by 2050. While the document does not force any specific country to act, experts say it is a massive boost for global climate diplomacy. Jotham Napat, the prime minister of Vanuatu, called the vote a new chapter for the planet! Next time you see a solar panel, remember that countries are working together to build a cleaner future.
Beluga Mirrors
Transcript: Did you know that some whales might be able to recognize their own reflections? Researchers at the New York Aquarium studied four captive belugas to see how they reacted to a mirror. Two of the whales, named Natasha and Maris, showed intense interest! Natasha even passed a special mark test by looking at a temporary mark on her body. Scientists writing in PLOS One say this shows the whales have a high level of self-awareness. Out of the 136,000 mature belugas living in the wild, these smart creatures prove just how complex ocean mammals really are! If you were a beluga, what would you do in front of a mirror?
Arthritis Walking
Transcript: What if changing the way you walk could heal your knees? A clinical trial from the University of Utah tested 68 participants to see if a simple walking tweak could relieve arthritis pain. Researchers found that changing a person's foot angle by just 5 or 10 degrees can reduce knee load! After practicing the new walk for 20 minutes a day over one year, patients felt less pain and showed slower cartilage damage. The team published their exciting results in The Lancet Rheumatology, proving that biomechanics can be just as powerful as medicine! Have you ever tried to completely change the way you walk?
Anxiety Gum
Transcript: Imagine inventing a special candy that helps people feel calm! Two high school students named Zackary Nizker and Sara Hoti created a chewing gum designed to tackle anxiety. The 16-year-old inventors used an extract from the passionflower plant, which contains flavonoids that reduce anxiety by increasing brain levels of GABA, slowing down neuron firing! Their amazing project earned them fourth place and $600 at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. They competed against 1,725 students from 65 different nations! If you could invent a snack that gives you a special ability, what would it do?
Orca AI
Transcript: How do you protect an endangered animal that you cannot see? An AI tool called OrcaHello is tracking southern resident orcas in the Salish Sea! With only 76 individuals remaining as of December 2025, these whales need quiet waters to hunt. The AI system listens 24/7 for orca calls and alerts the Port of Seattle when the pods approach. Experts then tell the port to pause noisy construction, giving the whales a safe space to swim! The system successfully detected the whales on 19 distinct days in 2026. Next time you hear a loud noise, imagine how much animals appreciate the quiet!
Great Pyramid
Transcript: How did ancient monuments survive massive earthquakes? Researchers from the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics placed sensors at 37 locations around the Great Pyramid of Giza! They discovered that the 481-foot-tall structure vibrates at a frequency between 2.0 and 2.6 hertz, which is very different from the ground around it. Because the ground and the structure vibrate at different rates, the ground is less likely to feed energy efficiently into the structure! This accidental engineering brilliance helped the 2.3 million stone blocks survive a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in 1847. What is the strongest building you have ever seen?
Saving Gas
Transcript: Are you hitting the road for a family trip this weekend? AAA estimates that 45 million Americans will be traveling, even with the national average for gas sitting at $4.55 a gallon! Experts at Consumer Reports say you can save money by driving smoothly and skipping premium fuel. But if you want to save even more, switching to an electric vehicle makes a huge difference! A driver covering 15,000 miles a year can save $1,800 by plugging in instead of pumping gas. Next time you are in the car, see if you can spot any electric vehicles cruising quietly down the highway!
Asian Kung-Fu Generation
Transcript: Have you ever recorded a song inside a historic building? The famous band Asian Kung-Fu Generation just released a brand-new EP as they head into their 30th-anniversary overseas shows! They recorded the four-track project at MUSIC inn Fujieda, which is a 130-year-old renovated storehouse in Japan. The band also released a new single in April called Skins, which serves as the opening theme for the third season of the anime Dr. STONE! Frontman Masafumi Gotoh says he wants to make music that brings people together, proving that sound can connect us all. If you started a band, what kind of music would you play?
Above the Line
Transcript: What would you do if someone stole your prize? A brand-new movie called Above the Line is getting a digital release on June 26! The film is a dark comedy directed by Jeffrey Scott Collins, and it follows six Hollywood hopefuls who team up to steal best picture awards from a producer who wronged them. Quiver Distribution acquired the rights to the movie after it premiered at the Sun Valley Film Festival in December. It stars Cedric the Entertainer and Sophia Ali in a wild adventure about trying to make it in the entertainment industry! What is your favorite comedy movie?
Hajj Pilgrimage
Transcript: Did you know that large numbers of people travel to the exact same city every single year? The annual Hajj pilgrimage starts on Monday, bringing massive crowds of Muslims to Mecca in Saudi Arabia! The journey happens during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. Pilgrims perform a series of deeply spiritual rituals, including circling the cube-shaped Kaaba seven times counterclockwise! The Associated Press reports that the event unites people of diverse languages and backgrounds from all over the world. Next time you see a large gathering of people, remember how powerful shared traditions can be!
How the Egyptian Pyramids Have Stood for 4,500 Years
Today’s deeper dive follows a story from this episode.